Mitt should speak on Book of Mormon

John F. Kennedy spoke to a ministerial alliance in Houston in October of 1960 and helped alleviate fears in the minds of many Protestants who were reluctant to vote for a Catholic for president. I remember that campaign well and confess my sin of bigotry. I joined with more than 4 million Americans who voted for Richard Nixon simply because Kennedy was Catholic.

Mitt Romney faces the same situation. Polls are showing that about one-third of Americans say they won't vote for a Mormon. Many of these people are conservative Protestants who form a core element of the Republican base.

The main objection that critics of Mormonism seem to have is the Book of Mormon. Romney could point out that the theology of the Book of Mormon is essentially orthodox Protestantism. Later doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that seem weird to outsiders are not included in the Book of Mormon.

Secondly, the Book of Mormon affirms that America is the promised land. That may raise problems for missionaries in foreign lands but should be no problem for patriotic Americans.

Thirdly, the Book of Mormon is a passionate answer to the religious skepticism of the time, such as found in Thomas Paine's famous critique of Christian belief in "The Age of Reason."

Finally, contrary to what is often said by outsiders, in the LDS Church the Bible has always been used more than the Book of Mormon, even though the Book of Mormon has made a bit of a comeback since the presidency of Ezra Taft Benson.

The religious right is very strong in the Republican Party. Mike Huckabee has just moved ahead of Romney in the Iowa polls, so now is the time for Mitt to speak up.

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William D. Russell is a professor emeritus of government and history at Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa.